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Multigrain Struan - Reinhart Formula from WGB

December 10, 2008 - 12:44pm

preacher1120

Multigrain Struan - Reinhart Formula from WGB

Crust and Crumb of Multigrain Struan. Well, I'm really happy with this bread. It really is a fine sandwich recipe. I am shamelessly proud. I followed the prescribed two-day process. Grains added were brown rice and oats. Not quite as much spring as I would have liked, but there are no ill effects on the crumb which is tight, but not too tight. Thanks to everyone on this site for your inspiration and coaching!

I did a Struan-inspired loaf today myself. I worked mostly from the ideas in Floyd's Struan post, which I know comes from PR, but I'm not sure how it would fit into the recipes in the books. Anyway, I never seem to really follow a recipe, so mine had rolled oat, wheat, barley and rye (multi-grain cereal), brown rice, toasted wheat germ, some whole grain barley flour and a poolish-style sponge.

I'm pretty pleased with how they came out looking, but they're not as pretty as yours. Haven't cut into them yet, so no opinions on the crumb & flavor yet.

I'm new to all this, but just today got Brother Juniper's Bread Book (from the local library) which had this Struan in it, and many other wonderful whole grain/mixed grain bread recipes.

It's the first time in my life I found myself reading a cookbook as if it were a novel! Though there is plenty of commentary in Brother Juniper's Bread book. I was wondering if I could just make one recipe each week until I'd tried them all!

Yours looks wonderful and I hope it tasted even better. I get the sense that it took some tries to perfect. I'll have to search around and see the posts you referred to and learn from your experience before I take a stab at it.

I don't have Brother Juniper's BB. I got into baking by seeking to include more whole grains in our family's diet. But in reading WGB, he seems to say that the WGB technique is new. Basically the idea (for ALL of the breads in this book) is to develop a soaker with most of the flour and also a biga/wild yeast starter on the first day, refrigerate overnight, then combine the two with a few more elements on the second day. By using the soaker, the flour releases more sugars and enhances flavor while also developing the gluten necessary for a good rise. The biga also develops flavor with the yeast and, of course, more structure, too. The result is a whole grain product that tastes sweeter and more complex while also providing a good rise. Well, that is the novice explanation. I'm sure I've fouled something up in that, but the procedure remains the same and it is quite simple and very effective.

I just baked my first multigrain struan today (it's cooling as I type). It is the first bread I've baked using Reinhart's book and I had a bit of trouble with the soaker, but I think I fixed it. I can't wait to try some!

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